Specialties

Indianola native Dean Whitehead, a bilateral amputee, had been using a standard wheelchair since the 1970s. But the nature of his injuries caused him to lean to the left, resulting in many postural problems that affected his functional use of a such a chair.

When he came to Methodist Rehab’s Seating and Wheeled Mobility Clinic for an evaluation, physical therapist Allison Fracchia knew she needed to do whatever it would take to help him. So when his unique posture cried out for a wheelchair with custom-molded seating, she got the certification necessary to design and recommend a custom system known as Ride Designs.

“We take our time and don’t recommend something simply because it would be the quickest thing to do,” Fracchia said. “Sometimes it’s worth the wait, and in Dean’s case it definitely was.”

“Technology has changed so much in the last 25 to 30 years that there are things you couldn’t have dreamed about that are a reality today,” Whitehead said.